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Official: Amazon Acquires Twitch for $970 million in cash

M

MLCodest

Member
This is better than Google just because it doesn't create a monopoly of streaming media. Hopefully Amazon does Twitch right.
 
C

Cipherr

Member
antigoon said:
I don't see how this is going to be different at all. Unless Amazon has some secretly advanced content ID software that doesn't false-positive everything in sight.
Click to expand...

It won't really be any different, but there will be less phony outrage at least which is a good thing. Can go back to enjoying streaming and its growth without the ridiculous doom and gloom about everything.
 
old

old

Member
Would this mean twitch gains access to Amazon's servers? Maybe they could get rid of the delay.
 
C

CrashPrime

Member
That's a lot of money. What a lucky break. Nothing really remarkable about the company other than its popularity with LoL streamers.

I guess dat League moneys is serious.

Grats to them. Wish I could fall into unfathomable wealth like that.
 
S

speculawyer

Member
Take-Two gets a little pay day out of this . . . they were one of Twitch's investors. Although they probably don't own a big chunk of Twitch. But if they own like 5%, that is $50 million.

Reallink said:
They could have bought the entirety of Take Two for less at multiple points over the last couple years.
Click to expand...

Nah. Although Take-Two's market cap has been that low, there is no way the board would have agreed to a sale that low.
 
T

Trojan

Member
Reasons this could benefit Amazon:
  1. This gets Amazon's foot in the door for media streaming, one area it's been noticeably absent in. They can use Twitch's code (which apparently Google had major interest in due to its ability to efficiently manage live-feeds) into their existing network portfolio and also it's a strong brand name right now.
  2. They can combine this with their ever-compelling Amazon Prime package to pull in a wider audience. Could potentially offer ad-free or have exclusive access to certain areas. They just added music streaming to this recently, so they're now offering movies, TV, music, tablet/phone features, free shipping, and now games
  3. It doesn't allow Google to get a massive monopoly on media streaming. If they had Twitch and YouTube, that would be a major blow to other companies trying to crack into that sector.
  4. They can rebrand Twitch in the future as Amazon XXXX and/or use it as a platform to drive low-cost ads since they're vertically integrated.

Reasons this could benefit consumers:
  1. Prime members will undoubtedly get a bonus from this in the future. Not sure when, but that's a given.
  2. Amazon is renouned for customer support, so I would expect a system that would revolve around that. Think things like a much better recommendation engine and other customer-centric features.
  3. Twitch being under Amazon's umbrella means they now have a huge pool of cash and resources at their disposal, including fantastic web-hosting network....this probably means infrastructure increases and stability improvements in the long-run.
 
T

TylerDurden4321

Member
Amir0x said:
yeah there's an Amazon center around here, and my friend Daiquan worked there. They had like a bell that went off if you were away from your station for even more than like 2 minutes, they were paid like shit, and they dog you hard if you don't reach your quotas, even though they seemed to love raising the quotas to ever more impossible heights.
Click to expand...

{Sorry, off topic, but...}
HAVING to have to work a job like that because you need the money... and for more than 6 months, it makes you a better person after getting out of it.

I really see amazon as having fashistic ideologies. A single person is nothing, to feed the "one company to end all companies"-idea is everything. Look at amazon's profits, they are pathetic. They don't care. They willingly endorse lower profits for higher revenue for higher market-share. They act unreasonable for a company, which makes them unpredictable and dangerous in their megalomania, compared to google, apple and wall-mart.
 
F

fader

Member
Trojan said:
Reasons this could benefit Amazon:
  1. This gets Amazon's foot in the door for media streaming, one area it's been noticeably absent in. They can use Twitch's code (which apparently Google had major interest in due to its ability to efficiently manage live-feeds) into their existing network portfolio and also it's a strong brand name right now.
  2. They can combine this with their ever-compelling Amazon Prime package to pull in a wider audience. Could potentially offer ad-free or have exclusive access to certain areas. They just added music streaming to this recently, so they're now offering movies, TV, music, tablet/phone features, free shipping, and now games
  3. It doesn't allow Google to get a massive monopoly on media streaming. If they had Twitch and YouTube, that would be a major blow to other companies trying to crack into that sector.
    [*]They can rebrand Twitch in the future as Amazon XXXXand/or use it as a platform to drive low-cost ads since they're vertically integrated.

Reasons this could benefit consumers:
  1. Prime members will undoubtedly get a bonus from this in the future. Not sure when, but that's a given.
  2. Amazon is renouned for customer support, so I would expect a system that would revolve around that. Think things like a much better recommendation engine and other customer-centric features.
  3. Twitch being under Amazon's umbrella means they now have a huge pool of cash and resources at their disposal, including fantastic web-hosting network....this probably means infrastructure increases and stability improvements in the long-run.
Click to expand...

Doubt this would happen, they do not have a history of doing this. (unlike Google)

also, this acquisition gives them a huge step into the gaming world, something they've been trying to do for a while.
 
T

Trojan

Member
fader said:
Doubt this would happen, they do not have a history of doing this. (unlike Google)

also, this acquisition gives them a huge step into the gaming world, something they've been trying to do for a while.
Click to expand...

Yea I missed that one...definitely benefits them as it relates to their gaming ambitions.
 
sono

sono

Member
I for one do not appreciate these massive internet company overlords.

Google Facebook et Amazon.
 
S

Skilotonn

xbot xbot xbot xbot xbot
Really surprised considering how long the Google rumors were going on for.

I do believe that this was the better choice considering the way Google and Youtube have been making movements for the worst (to me) in the past few years.
 
S

snack

Member
Amazon owns a TON of companies that they let do their own thing: Zappos, IMDB, Goodreads are just some examples. Expect Twitch to operate the same as before.
 
F

Fox318

Member
deltatheta said:
No they don't. There's no Amazon Instant Video for Android. It's iOS only. They have an Android app but they only make it available for Kindle Fire.
Click to expand...

Amazon Instant Video on Android should be coming soon.
snack said:
Amazon owns a TON of companies that they let do their own thing: Zappos, IMDB, Goodreads are just some examples. Expect Twitch to operate the same as before.
Click to expand...

Zappos purchase was the most desperate.

Zappos was moving into general sales at the time and not just shoes.
 
S

SchrodingerC

Member
Wow. This was an interesting twist, and now I wonder what amazon's plans are for Twitch. Hopefully nothing as horrible as Google could've, right?
 
F

Felix Lighter

Member
This is a far more interesting situation than if Google bought them, though Amazon's investments are under closer scrutiny lately, so who knows what might ultimately come out of this.
 
S

SneakyStephan

Banned
Better than google, or maybe they're but equally worse (not equally bad, equally worse, or maybe equally worst)


It's already been shat on with that drm music muting anyhow, doubt amazon 'll get rid of it
 
M

mordecaii83

Member
Amir0x said:
Well that's better than the alternative, I suppose...

...but Amazon needs to start treating its employees better. Like, hard. I've heard so many horror stories from people working there, shit is not acceptable.
Click to expand...

I keep seeing people say stuff like this, but in my 2 years of working at Amazon I haven't seen anything remotely like this. Sure, during peak season (Christmas) it gets a little hectic and you work some long hours, but most of the year you work a standard 40 hours a week with amazing benefits and relatively good working conditions. Free gatorade, 2 breaks and a lunch, air-conditioned buildings, free on-site medical care if you do get injured, etc. Some of the job positions can be physically challenging, but no more so than any other warehouse job.

So again, I'd really like to know why people have this impression. Also, I've worked at 5 different locations, and they have all been very similar with working conditions, so it's not just that one building is ok and the rest are terrible.
 
K

KennyLinder

Member
mordecaii83 said:
I keep seeing people say stuff like this, but in my 2 years of working at Amazon I haven't seen anything remotely like this. Sure, during peak season (Christmas) it gets a little hectic and you work some long hours, but most of the year you work a standard 40 hours a week with amazing benefits and relatively good working conditions. Free gatorade, 2 breaks and a lunch, air-conditioned buildings, free on-site medical care if you do get injured, etc. Some of the job positions can be physically challenging, but no more so than any other warehouse job.

So again, I'd really like to know why people have this impression. Also, I've worked at 5 different locations, and they have all been very similar with working conditions, so it's not just that one building is ok and the rest are terrible.
Click to expand...


There was a programme over here (UK) with hidden cameras where staff would complain about really long hours, and incredibly tight deadlines to pick all of the required stock from the shelves. These are usually one sided, and it didn't have a comparison of what it's like to work in any other highly demanding warehouse.

I used to work in Sainsburys whilst I was at college and that was pretty demanding, especially around peek times and seasons.

Are you in the US? Maybe it's worse where or something.
 
I

IAmRandom31

Banned
Well Amazon has the most expansive network in the world so hopefully they can utilize that backbone to make Twitch capable of producing consistent 1080p with some reliability.
 
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